Flow Elements

Orifice Plate Calculations and Design

One of the key challenges when dealing with flow measurement using differential pressure flow meters is the design of the primary flow element such as an orifice plate, flow nozzle, venturi or other flow meter. The design of an orifice plate or any other flow meter starts with the accumulation of several data items. These data points are then used to design physical dimensions of the orifice plate including the outer diameter, the plate thickness, the handle requirements, and the orifice bore. Process data are used in a calculation iteration to develop the orifice bore, and once the physical dimensions of the orifice are decided, this information is then used to complete the overall flow calculation. Worksheets are often utilized in order to accumulate the needed data for the flow calculation.

A sample process data worksheet is included below:

Triad Measurement & Equipment, Inc.

Orifice Plate Flow Calculation Data Sheet

Company Name

Contact Name

Contact Phone Number

Contact Email Address

Product Description

Plate Type

Tap Type

Plate Material

Tap Location

Drain / Vent Diameter

Pipe Size

Tap Process Connection (NPT, SW, etc.)

Pipe Schedule

Pipe Material

Input Data

Fluid Type

Pipe ID

Pressure

Base Pressure

Temperature at flow

Base Temperature

Flow Rates

Minimum

Rate

Units

Normal

Rate

Units

Maximum

Rate

Units

Full Scale

Rate

Units

The flow calculation takes into consideration all of the process flow conditions, the physical attributes of the orifice plate and then provides key results such as discharge coefficient, beta ratio, flow velocity, expected differential pressure, total pressure loss, etc. The flow calculation also takes into consideration correction factors such as temperature compensation, compressibility factors, fluid properties and other variables to ensure the most highly accurate instrument possible.

There are many terms that are commonly used for the basic flow calculation. Some of the common terms are: flow calculation data sheet, flow calculation, bore calculation; orifice bore calculation, orifice data sheet, etc. For the purposes in this brief, the outcome of this process will be referred to as the Flow Calculation.

Once the flow calculation is complete, the physical attributes of the flow meter can then be designed. There are several standard making authorities who have developed guidelines for the physical design of primary flow meters such as orifice plates. These include ASME MFC-3M, ISO 5167, AGA 3, PTC-6 (Performance Test Code) and PTC-19.5. Based on the details of these standards, the physical attributes of the meter such as bore design, bore location, pressure tap design, pressure tap location, required pipe straight run requirements, flow conditioning requirements, pipe material, pipe thickness, etc., can be determined.

These physical attributes are accumulated into an engineering design drawing which is utilized for the manufacture of the orifice plate or other flow meter. The product is then manufactured with very tight tolerances. In the case of a PTC-6 Nozzle, deviations in measured bores as small as 3/1000th of an inch can lead to a meter that meets the code requirements and one that does not. As such the manufacturing process is tightly controlled and detailed measurements are taken to ensure that the flow meter will perform as expected.

The process of designing and manufacturing primary flow elements such as orifice plates and other flow meters involves a high level of accuracy not only in the manufacturing process, but also in the data accumulation and calculation process. Many information sources regarding flow calculations provide simplified versions of the detailed flow calculations. These should not be used for detailed design of orifice plates or any other differential pressure flow meter such as flow nozzles or venturi because they do not consider the vast number of correction factors and detailed fluid properties that are needed to ensure the most accurate meter possible. Reputable flow meter engineers and manufacturers can be useful as expert resources to support the flow meter design effort.

These flow calculations can be provided by the engineering staff at Triad Measurement & Equipment, Inc. (www.triad-measurement.com) either as a support to the manufacturing of a meter or as a separate contract service. If you need additional information or would like to obtain a flow calculation for your piping design, please refer to the engineering staff on our Contact Us page or call at 281-359-2300 ext. 5620.